Tax values, petition of citizens, rezoning among items on New Bern Board of Aldermen meeting agenda

Alderman Rick Prill of Ward 1, Alderman Hazel Royal of Ward 2, Alderman Bobby Aster of Ward 3, Mayor Jeffrey Odham, Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey of Ward 4 and Alderman Barbara Best of Ward 5 in the courtroom at City Hall in downtown New Bern taken on Aug. 2, 2024. (Photo by Wendy Card)
Alderman Rick Prill of Ward 1, Alderman Hazel Royal of Ward 2, Alderman Bobby Aster of Ward 3, Mayor Jeffrey Odham, Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey of Ward 4 and Alderman Barbara Best of Ward 5 in the courtroom at City Hall in downtown New Bern taken on Aug. 2, 2024. (Photo by Wendy Card)

Several items are on tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting agenda at City Hall in downtown New Bern.

The Board of Aldermen will meet on August 13, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the City Hall courtroom in downtown New Bern, NC.

Members of the public will be given four minutes to address the board during the “Request and Petition of Citizens” portion of the meeting.

Closing specific streets for the New Bern Christmas Parade, a Thanksgiving dinner and initiating an upset bid process for 513 First Avenue are on the consent agenda.

There are several items on the agenda.

The New Bern Southpaws will provide an update on their first season at Kafer Park.

The board will hold a public hearing and consider rezoning 201 South Glenburnie Road from a C-4 commercial district to an I-1 industrial district. The parcel is located across from Windy Hill Court. The Table of Permissible Uses shows what’s allowed in each zoning district.

The BOA will consider a “Memorandum of Understanding with the Jacksonville Police Department for use of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.”

“This would allow for the quick and efficient upload of shell-casing ballistic evidence to be effective in our investigations in firearms investigations,” according to a memo by Police Chief Patrick Gallagher.

The board will also consider approving three grants in the amount of $80,000 from the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program.

They will consider accepting the Craven County Tax Collector’s annual settlement of property taxes for 2023.

“The net taxable valuation of all property excluding registered motor vehicles within the City of New Bern corrected through June 30, 2024, is $4,507,329,711,” according to a letter from Leslie Young, the Craven County Tax Collector.

She said the 2023 tax levy on real and other personal property is $17,251,347.87 and the amended tax levy is $17,148,188.52 with $17, 041,715.20 collected as of June 30 and $106,473.32 in delinquent taxes.

“The net taxable valuation of all property excluding registered motor vehicles within the New Bern Municipal Service District corrected through June 30, 2024, is $191,875,533,” Young said.

She said the 2023 tax levy on the eal and other personal property within the MSD is $218,513.42 and the amended tax levy is $216,747.44 with $215,213.25 collected as of June 30 and $215.55 in delinquent taxes.

“There were no registered motor vehicles billed under the old vehicle tax system. All registered motor vehicles are now billed and collected by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and remitted to the county and municipalities once each month,” Young said.

The board will consider amending the Drainage Improvements Project Fund to recognize a $250,000 Golden LEAF grant for Elizabeth Avenue Drainage Improvements and a $150,000 grant from the NC Land and Water Fund for Duffyfield Stormwater Enhancement.

They will consider amending the Resiliency and Hazard Mitigation Plan Grant Project to recognize a $217,500 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant, which includes $200,000 for “Restoration of Duffyfield Canal Planning and Project Scoping” and $17,500 for grant management costs. It requires a $150,000 match, which is “covered by the NC Attorney General – Smithfield Environmental Enhancement Grant in that same amount already awarded by the City,” according to a memo from Finance Director Kimbery Ostrom.

The BOA will consider amending the budget to appropriate $70,000 from the General Fund to cover liability and property insurance premium costs.

They will also consider amending the Electric Fund to reflect $600,000 in revenue and expenses to make the infrastructure ready for broadband services providers.

The budget amendment also includes recognizing $7,500 for a USPCA AKC Reunite 2024 K9 grant and $55,000 for the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program grants.

“The Grants Fund is also amended to reduce various Police and Parks and Recreation grant budgets totaling $35,541 to adjust budgets to actuate based on reimbursed expenses,” Ostrom noted.

See the full meeting agenda and packet here.

Meetings are live streamed on City 3 TV and on the city’s Facebook page. Recordings are normally uploaded to YouTube.

By Wendy Card, Editor. Send an email with questions or comments.